Hybrid thermal system with device-specific control logic

A method comprising:

• circulating a cooling fluid through a fluid passage to at least one fluid-cooled device in each of a first and a second thermal loop via a first and second cooling actuator, respectively;
• and
• arbitrating, via a controller, cooling requests from each of the fluid-cooled devices, including:
• receiving, for each of the fluid-cooled devices, a raw speed request and a noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) limits that relates a speed of a respective one of the first and second cooling actuators to a reference speed for a plurality of different temperatures;
• processing the raw speed requests and the calibrated set of NVH limits, including assigning a relative cooling priority to each of the at least one fluid-cooled devices;
• and
• transmitting a speed command to each of the first and second cooling actuators to thereby cool the at least one fluid-cooled devices in each of the first and second thermal loops at a level required by the fluid-cooled device having the highest relative cooling priority in that particular thermal loop.

A vehicle comprising:

• an electric traction motor having an output member;
• a transmission having an input member that is selectively connected to the output member of the electric traction motor;
• a plurality of fluid-cooled devices each in electrical communication with the electric traction motor;
• a first thermal loop having:
• a pump configured to circulate coolant;
• and
• conduit connecting the pump to the fluid-cooled devices cooled via the first thermal loop, and conducting the coolant to and from the fluid-cooled devices in the first thermal loop;
• a second thermal loop separate from the first thermal loop and having:
• a fan configured to circulate air;
• and
• air ducts connecting the fan to the fluid-cooled devices that are cooled via the second thermal loop, and conducting the air to and from the fluid-cooled devices in the second thermal loop;
• and
• a controller in communication with the fluid-cooled devices of the first and second thermal loops, the pump, and the fan, and having a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded device-specific control logic for arbitrating between cooling requests from each of the fluid-cooled devices;
• wherein the controller is configured to execute the device-specific control logic via the processor to thereby cause the processor to:
• receive, for each of the fluid-cooled devices, a raw speed request and a set of calibrated noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) limits that relates a speed of a respective one of the pump and the fan to a speed of the vehicle for a plurality of different temperatures;
• process the raw speed requests and the calibrated set of NVH limits, including assigning a relative cooling priority to each of the plurality of fluid-cooled devices;
• and
• output a speed command to the pump and to the fan to thereby cool the plurality of fluid-cooled devices at a level required by the fluid-cooled device having the highest relative cooling priority for that particular thermal loop.